4.4 Stars Out Of 5
4.4 out of 5
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Value:
4.5 out Of 5
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Meets Expectations:
4.3 out Of 5
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92%
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  1. Courtney
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    January 27, 2014
    Courtney
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for The Painted Table.
    Suzanne Fields creates an amazing and realistic picture of what it looks like to live in a family dealing with mental illness. We get to see what mental illness looks like mostly from the perspective of a child of a parent with a mental illness. But, through her story, we also get to see what it looks like to be a supportive spouse and loving family. Although the context and story are hard to read at times, you get a better understanding of what life would look like in Saffee's shoes. The pain and memories that a simple painted table brings up are numerous and hard to deal with. I think that this book exemplifies what it means to truly love someone, no matter what obstacles or events come our way. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone looking to gain more insight on mental illness and its influence on family life.
  2. Carole Jarvis
    Jonesboro, Georgia
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Rich, character-driven drama, best of the best!
    January 17, 2014
    Carole Jarvis
    Jonesboro, Georgia
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for The Painted Table.
    The Painted Table by debut author Suzanne Field is truly a gem, so much so that I hope my simple words will encourage many new readers to discover its wealth. Poignant, compelling, uncomfortable, emotional, relevant, redemptive - these are just a few descriptive terms that quickly come to mind. It was hard to read at times, but impossible to put down at the same time - and Suzanne's writing is exquisite. It also has one of the most moving, joyous endings I've ever read. This is a story that I doubt I'll ever forget.

    The theme of mental illness is rarely addressed in Christian fiction and Saffee discovers that while friends and neighbors show love and support during many afflictions, mental illness isn't one of them. Suzanne's story is eye opening and gripping with its detail of Joann's gradual path to insanity, its effect on Saffee and her sister April, and Saffee's road to redemption.

    A hand-crafted Norwegian table, passed down through generations of the Kirkeborg family, becomes the focal point in how Joann's husband, Nels, and daughters relate to her mental illness. As a young child dealing with the loss of her mother, Joann found the table to be a substitute place of comfort. "Under the table Joann had been a child without love. To be a child without love is a transgression."

    We experience this story through the eyes of Saffee, Joann's daughter, as we literally watch her grow up - wincing at many scenes, while rejoicing at others. I loved how two teachers had such a positive effect on the young Saffee: her 6th grade teacher who made her feel that she was a person of worth, and Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Eilert. In her class "Saffee sings, 'Come into my heart, Lord Jesus' . . . and He does. Even though she has often sought to be alone, she experiences a curious relief that she will never be alone again."

    Nels was one of my favorite characters, a complex man I came to admire. In the beginning he seems like a husband and father so busy providing for his family that he almost becomes a stranger to them - and a man in constant denial of Joann's illness. But his commitment, love, faithfulness, and desire to protect are qualities we can all look up to. In a conversation with Saffee, Nels explains, "When I married your mother, I promised to stick with her through thick and thin, and I will."

    If you've ever felt that God worked through someone He placed in your life, then you can relate to this story. God spoke to Saffee through many Scriptures that she read, but husband Jack's words also had a profound effect: "Maybe the best way to honor your mother is not to become like her."

    Rich in its characterization, realism and spiritual themes, The Painted Table is a novel that I highly recommend to all readers. Best of the best in Christian fiction in my opinion.

    Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for providing an electronic copy of The Painted Table in exchange for my honest review.
  3. Nancee
    Grand Rapids, Michigan
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Poignant!
    January 14, 2014
    Nancee
    Grand Rapids, Michigan
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for The Painted Table.
    The "painted table" originated in Norway, handcrafted from a birch tree, and passed down through family generations in America. A child found solace underneath the table, throughout frequent unpleasant experiences, most notably a prairie fire that threatened to burn everything in its wake. Resultant and convoluted events in her life affected Joann's coping mechanisms. She discovered love accompanied by mistrust, bore children left devoid of nurturing and affection, and upon receipt of the table, an obsession with it.

    Mentally agonizing memories from time spent beneath the table tormented her, as the table represented constant reminders of her past. Joann's painful existence was focused on the Norway table compelling her to irrationally paint and repaint the table in layers typical of the painful layers of her life. Each layer of paint appeared to intensify her anguish, releasing more irrational behavior. Paranoia presented itself in Joanna's early adulthood, and as told throughout The Painted Table a succession of events intensified into full-blown psychosis and schizophrenia.

    Suzanne Field painted the layers of her characters comprehensively and with creativity. The development of those characters throughout the book represented a substantive view through the eyes of the mentally ill and those who surrounded her. The anguish these characters experienced was convincing and poignant. The author created expressive, imaginative portrayals of the various environments which gave credence to the believability of the story. I found myself becoming more and more engrossed as the story progressed. The Painted Table is an excellent chronicle of mental illness and its pervasive effects on the afflicted and those closest to them.

    Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through LitFuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received as a result of this review.
  4. Marianne
    Wanham, Alberta
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    a great novel
    January 11, 2014
    Marianne
    Wanham, Alberta
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for The Painted Table.
    What does the painted table represent? Is it the safe haven for Joann the motherless child? Is it the stigma of a dysfunctional family for Saffee? Is it an inanimate object with a living memory? It is all of that, but it is also an article of hope and redemption.

    The story of Joann and her daughter Saffee are intertwined with the beautifully carved table that was sent from Norway to America to be handed down as an heirloom. But the heritage can only be appreciated by the ones who truly understand what inheritance means.

    I found this book hard to follow, but only because the very issue of darkness is hard to follow. My heart ached even as I realized that the story was fiction, but very well told fiction involving young daughters and their mothers. If I knew the intimate history and the memories of my mother, would our interaction be different? I think that as was the case for Joann and Saffee, perhaps our perceived memories are some that are not mentioned between family members, and hidden they tend to grow and fester. The golden thread of hope and redemption are spun throughout this novel.

    I received this book free from Amy at LitfusePulicity Group and Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review. A positive critique was not required. The opinions are my own.
  5. debwilson
    Summerfield, FL
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    January 10, 2014
    debwilson
    Summerfield, FL
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    The Norwegian table, a century-old heirloom ingrained with family memory, has become a totem of a life Saffee would rather forget–a childhood disrupted by her mother's mental illness.

    Saffee does not want the table. By the time she inherits the object of her mother's obsession, the surface is thick with haphazard layers of paint and heavy with unsettling memories.

    After a childhood spent watching her mother slide steadily into insanity, painting and re-painting the ancient table, Saffee has come to fear that seeds of psychosis may lie dormant within her. She must confront her mother's torment if she wants to defend herself against it.

    Traversing four generations over the course of a century, The Painted Table is a beautiful portrait of inherited memory. It is a sprawling narrative affirmation that a family artifact–like a family member–can bear the marks of one's past . . . as well as intimations of one's redemption.

    My Review:

    Having personal experience on the topic, Field brings a beautiful story to the table. Travelling through the past, present, and hope of the future, makes for a wonderful premise for this story. Add a family touched by the ravages of mental illness, and it becomes the reason why everyone you know should read this novel. A powerfully touching, deeply emotional and unforgettable drama that will stay with you.

    What caught my attention about this story was the stark honesty of the writing despite the pain. Reading about Joann's decent into madness, April and Saffee fighting to keep their sanity - if there were Oscars for books, this one would make the cut. A wonderful story that will continually haunts my thoughts, and gave me a deeper understanding of what it truly means to rely on the One who is always there for us.

    This book was provided by the publisher through Litfuse Nest for free in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying items 1-5 of 13
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